Not (Happy Ending AU)
by EdeaOfEternia
Summary: On a very important day of her life, Edea reflects on who she is not. - Set in that Happy Ending AU I came up with where everyone survives and is happy, because cute fluff is needed. Inspired by that one fanart. You probably know the one. Ringabel x Edea, with Edea & Tiz being bros.


Edea took a deep breath and moved across the room to peer at herself in the mirror, tucking a strand of blonde behind her ear. She surveyed herself, her clothing, and suddenly a realization hit her:

_I'm not delicate or dainty like Agnes. I never had the patience to act so gracefully._

_I'm not mature and disciplined like Einheria. No matter how old I get, I always feel like a child standing beside an adult when I'm with her. She makes me feel small, even though she never means to._

_I don't have Holly's sass or experience, and Crystals know I don't have her figure._

_I can't sing or inspire others like Praline, nor do I have that infectious smile of hers._

_I'm not fierce like Artemia. I can't imagine trying to survive in the wild as she had, raised by Frostis…_

_I'm not wise or as talented as Mephilia. Even after she went mad, she could still see the truth more clearly than any of us._

_I don't think or move as quickly as Konoe. If I could trade away half of my talkativeness for an ounce of her agility, I would._

_Even Victoria has a certain charm that I never could — a mixture of innocence and power that's just as appealing as it is dangerous. I don't intimidate people as well as she does. I wish I could._

_I don't possess any of those traits. And even if I did, they'd be nowhere near the level of the other girls'. They never could be._

So really, what was the point?

Edea sighed and hugged herself, turning away from her imperfect reflection. She really hated this. All this…thinking and worrying. She'd rather fight Ouroboros a thousand times over than—

"Edea?" A gentle knock came at the door, and she fought down the urge to run and hide under her bedsheets. "Edea, are you in there?"

The blonde held her breath and didn't make a sound. _I'm not ready._

A tired sigh came from beyond the door, "I saw you run in here, Edea."

_No, I can't. I'm not…_Her hands clutched the fabric at her hips, knuckles white, and she turned to face the mirror again. _This is madness! Why did I ever—_

"Everyone's waiting, Edea. Come on." Tiz laughed a little despite the urgency of the situation. When he was answered with silence, he added, a bit more seriously, "_He's_waiting, too."

Shuffling. Silence. Shuffling again. After a quiet _mrgrgr_, Edea unlocked and yanked open the door, flushed and trembling.

"I don't think I can do this, TIz," she squeaked out, "T-Tell my father to call it off, I'm not—I'm not—"

"Edea," Tiz now laughed outright, setting his hands on her shoulders. "Please, just — calm down. Take a deep breath, come on." He watched her as she obeyed with a jerk of a nod, biting her lower lip as her frame trembled. He gave her an encouraging half smile and took the moment to brush a strand of hair from her face with brotherly affection. Then he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You look beautiful."

"I want my armor," she grumbled out almost immediately, face reddening at the gesture. "This doesn't look right on me. I-I don't think it fits right, either—"

"Of course it does. The Sage made it just for you, didn't he?" He released her shoulders and stepped back, beaming down at her. "It was made for you, just like everything else today was made for you — but it'll all be for nothing if you don't come out of your room, won't it?"

"I-I know, but," Her eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm scared."

The shepard gave her a sympathetic smile, "I understand. But you're happy, too, aren't you?"

"I… Yes. I am," she folded her hands in front of her, squeezing them tight. After taking one more deep breath and letting it go, she steeled her nerves and nodded up at him. "All right, I'm ready. Let's get this over with."

"Don't say it like that, Edea," Tiz offered her his hand and she accepted it, allowing him to walk her down the corridor. "Ringabel'd burst into tears if he heard his bride say she just wants to get the wedding 'over with'!"

"W-Well it's his fault for proposing then, isn't it?!" Her words didn't make any sense, but she felt a lot better anyway.

_I might not be like all the other girls…but I'm still loved and wanted anyway,_ she thought. _And that's good enough for me._


End file.
